Eagle, Harry

Eagle, Harry (1906–92) medical biologist; born in New York City. After taking his medical degree at Johns Hopkins, he taught and researched there (1927–47), then went to the National Institutes of Health (1947–61) where he headed various sections; he then joined the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1961–88). Perhaps the best known achievement of his productive career was his formulation (in 1959) of the essential compounds needed to sustain the reproduction of human and other mammalian cells in test tubes; known as "Eagle's growth medium," it opened the way for new research on viruses, cancer, and genetic defects. He also made notable discoveries about the process of blood clotting, the treatment of arsenic poisoning, and a cure for African sleeping sickness.